The Republican journal., 1887-10-27

fit of the readers who combine the statistical
and imaginative faculties (hishly Necessary to
each otherl it may be added that the attacking
forces We're commanded by Capt. Branbridsc
l!cil, the defence by Capt. Davis, Of the Sal;i-
toga. The men were from the Richmond,
Gaiena, Ossipee, Saratoga and Portsmouth,
while the defensive force consisted of the boys
from the 'New IIampshire' J.H.C.
*We condensc from the Newport News the
1oiioWlng details supplemental to the LAY
view so graphically presented by cur cores
pondcnt: The general and especial ideas of the
nattlc were prepared by Major Livcrmore. of
The I. 5. engineer corps: Lieutenant Fa-kcr
NJ. Bliss. L. $. A.. onc of the instructors Of the
War College. and Captain Field. of the llh L.
:. artillery, aHa approved by Admiral Luce.
The boats containing the first battalion: of
Blue Jackets, the GatliGg guns and the ma
rincs were formed Oh the Starhoar;l side Of the
Richmond and towcd hy the Kichmond's steam
launch. The boats containing the second bat
talon of Blue Jackets and the thrce-inch how
itzer were formed on the port side of the Rich
mond and towed by the steam launch of the
oSslpce. The marines were landed in separate
boats by themselves. and We're cXpectedio pull
th, iiselvcs the short distance Necessary after
was service dress with lcggn@s for men. clean
blue. white caps. ieg-ins, with cantecns. The
roor guard came from the ships TO which color
companies were attached. The pioneers and
such implements. sand bags. etc. rs were to he
landed We're transported from tho different YES
sels by boat OF beats detailed from the Dolphin.
The pioneers. With their imIicn!ents. were
ready to leave their respective vessels hv /
o'clock The boats from the Dolphin proccc,-
cd to the different vessels Of the squadron at
That time and collected this force. and rcrorl-
ing alongside the flagship, took their uosi;iyn
were carried such intrcnchng tools lis cnlIl he
conveniently >lun@ to thcu. The signal men,
upon landing, reported 10 The commanding Of
ii"crS Of he battalion>. The hu-ers We're with
their respective commanding officers. Tie
steam launch OF tho Dolphin WAS u>c,! is
scouting boat. Tho commanding officers If the
first battalion of Blue Jackets detailed four
men as scouts TO go Oh this boat. All boats had
boat keepers in excess of the moH lalnc,iGd.
two for the infantry boats and four for boats
landing artillery.
The general signal to embark was awaited
with interest. The men. with twenty rounds
Of blank cartridges apaHc in their belts. Were
marched ever the side and distributed among
the various boats. After all the boats had been
assembled alongside flagship Richmond. Gencr-
al l!o1i and the members OF his staff stepped
aboard the flagship. from which signals were
10 he made to the llotilla, and, everything bcin"
i'll readiness, the sigma! to advance was given.
IL obedience thereto the boats of the first bat
talon. under Lieutenant Commander r. A..
Lyons. started ahead. followed bv The others
and al, stood up the bay FOR the first position
assigned the attacking party. point about half
mile TO the noTthward of Coasters IIarbor
island. abreast the beaches on which the land
Ing was to be made. The boats Were then form
Cd in line abreast. Meanwhile picket launch
belonging to the Dolphin. and having OH board
= staff officer and some signal men. lad been
ordered to proceed cautiously in advance of
the main body. inspecting the coast line. and
report if everything was clear on The island
Soon after the following signal message was
sent off to the attacking boats:
Light movement about Miantonom hill: Il
few troops. possibly artillery of small cabre ;
clouds of dust in direction of Newport not far
from brow of hill at eastward of causcway."
Upon receipt of this cipher message General
l!o!l ordered his men to make for the beach.
The skrmish boats, being the tlcctc>f, shot
quickly to the 'front.' and, in spite of a few
shots fired from Miantonomi hill, the boats
were soon ashore, and the men, hardly waiting
for their boats to ground, jumped quickly to
the land and Were at once dcpoycd as skirM-
ishers. The enemy had discovered the move
and We're hastenin-. across the causcway in
cagerne>s to gain the crown of the hill. which
would give them commanding position over
their f&st-approachine foes. In order to dis
tln@ul>h the two parties. the attacking party
was dressed in blue clothing, while the oppos-
ing party Wore white uniforms. The "BritiSl"
comprised three hundred infantry and artillery
from training ships Portsmouth and Saratoga.
and We're in command Of Commander Charles
II. Davis. The attacking party numbered
about six hundred men. The umpircs We're
selected and posted and a system of signals was
explained. whereby the bodies of troops that
were out OF position could be warned that they
Were either ahead or in the rear of where they
shouldbe. or had exposed themselves to some
position untenablc under the conditions.
An officer attached to the Richmond gives
the following graphic account of the landing
and subsequent battle:
Companies We're soon formed. hurried of on
the double time and dcployed on the Skirmish
line. with orders to seek cover wherever they
could. Gatlings We're landed, their drag ropes
led out and they were whiskcd up to the
point. giving them the best opportunity for
their .'fan fire." while the pioneers were i'm
mc'iatcly put to work throwing up screens of
earth and platforms for the artillery to rest
upon and to protect their crews from the
cncmy's sharp-shooters. The landing place
landed and the artillery officers bent their best
energies toward getting the three-inch rifles
ashore. The pioneers and miners We're on the
right. with two companies of the latter thrown
out as skirmishcrs. the third company being
held i'll reserve. The first battalion of Blue
the second battalion were employed as skir-
mi>herS. while the others were forming in their
rear. The extreme right of the Skrln>h line
rested on a stone wall, the left occupying a
little hill on the extreme left of the line of bat
tie. which was concavc toward the enemy.
The field hospital. marked by flag carried by
one of the corps, was directly in the rear of
the centre of the main body
While all this was going on at the beach.
Master Calhoun was doing his best to hurry up
= 4 - L.:
had already begun to seek out their victims.
showing that there was no time to be lost and
that it was "touch and 90 as to whether the
brigade could get landed and formed before
the cncmy's artillery could be got into position
and in sufficient force to make the landing am
impo>sibility-no very difficult matter, as their
position was along the crest of the highest
point of the island, stretching from shore TO
shore, covered by stone wall aud an orchard
| with high mounds of earth, Oh their right,
| completely hiding them from view, the only
indication of their presence bcin" the puff OF
smoke from the rifles of their rapidly advanc-
in" skrmishcrS.
Upon hearing the firing from Miantonomi
hill, General Davis knew at once that the at
| lacking force had made rapid progress since
passing the coast guard batteries up at the
main island, and that no time was to he lost in
| Seizing all points commanding the waters by
which Sl approach was possible. Landing at
CoddingtOns point was 10 longer feasible. and
| the only other possible place for discmbarkin.
was along the north end of Coasters IIarbor
island. If he could. by a rapid movement,
gain the crest of the hill at the southern end OF
this island, and get his guns in position. the
| landing could not be made, and the attackin.
party was at his mercy. rush across the
causcway and scramble up the hill was the
| only possible chance of getting there in time.
The order was given to advance on the double
| quick, and away dashed the whole force. The
narrow causeway somewhat retarded theil
movements. and the crest of the hill was game,
just as the first portion of the attacking force
| had landed. Could the artillery pieces have
been gotten up the steep hills about five min.
utes earlier, the story of the days battle wouIt